Old Testament Commentary - Psalms 34

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
       CHAPTER 34          

David blesses the Lord at all times—He counsels: Keep thy tongues from evil; do good and seek peace—Speaking Messianically he says: He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken.

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.
  1 I WILL abless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
  2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
  3 O amagnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
  4 I asought the LORD, and he bheard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
  5 They looked unto him, and were alightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
  6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
  7 The aangel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
  8 O ataste and see that the LORD is bgood: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
  9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
  10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not awant any good thing.
  11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
  12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
  13 Keep thy atongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking bguile.
  14 Depart from evil, and do agood; seek bpeace, and pursue it.
  15 The aeyes of the LORD are upon the brighteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
  16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
  17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and adelivereth them out of all their troubles.
  18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and asaveth such as be bof a contrite spirit.
  19 Many are the aafflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
  20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is abrokena.
 20a not one of them is broken The lamb which the Israelites were commanded to eat with peculiar rites as a part of the Passover celebration when Israel was delivered from the destroying angel of death in Egypt the night before the exodus was granted is that lamb which represents the delivering effect of the atonement of Jesus Christ. And in his death, that he would die before the Sabath came, Christ was already dead and need not have his legs broken. Thus is a Messianic prophecy of the coming Messiah so sang in the psalm of David. This particular lamb is called the Paschal Lamb.
  21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
  22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that atrust in him shall be desolate.